The big secret in finishing wood is in the sanding. To speed up the sanding of flat surfaces when using a vibrating sander, some pros will insert two sheets of sandpaper into the sander at the same time. Then, when the top layer becomes either worn or ripped, they simply tear it off and the second layer of sandpaper is already in place.
Get more life out of your sanding paper. After you’ve used an abrasive a few times, debris will become embedded in the tiny grit particles. This may reduce the effectiveness of the abrasive, but not necessarily mean that you need to replace it. There is a “abrasive eraser” available that will work to remove the particles and restore sanding power back to your sanding sheets, belts, disks, or drums.
Tape a sanding sheet around the head of a sponge mop. This will give you the reach you’ll need to smooth out hard to reach walls and ceilings before you paint or during construction.
To prevent a belt sander from tilting near the edge of a workpiece and rounding over the corner, place another board that’s the same thickness up against the workpiece. This way, the sander rides across the edge and on to the abutting board instead of rounding it over.
To sand coves, wrap sandpaper around small lengths of clear flexible plastic tubing. Most hardware stores carry this type of tubing. Choose a diameter smaller than the radius of the cove. Slice the tube down its length and slip one edge of the sandpaper into the slit. Then wrap the sandpaper around the tube and hold it tightly.
Never begin sanding on the wood of any carving project until you have completely finished carving it. The small particles of abrasive that lodge in the grain can dull your carving tools fast, and can quickly destroy all the benefits of using good sharpening equipment and techniques.
